Overdunkel

The portrait

The Überdunkel is our Überweiß who has fallen to the dark side of the Force. Well, not quite dark— let's just say she's traded her blonde dress for an ebony tuxedo with mahogany highlights. This traditional Dunkelweizen retains the DNA of its big sister, but with a twist that changes everything.

The secret? We ditched the caramel wheat to welcome buckwheat into our mash tun. This bad boy not only brings that starry night color, but also chocolatey, roasted notes that completely transform the experience. And because we love killer details, we ferment this beauty at 23.5°C instead of the usual 19°C. Why? So the banana esters literally explode in your mouth.

At 15 IBUs, the bitterness remains subtle—just enough to balance the roundness of the wheat. It's living proof that a dark beer can remain light and approachable. No heaviness, no excessive sweetness. Just the right amount of complexity to warm the heart when the thermometer flirts with zero.

As a side note, during the winter of 2015, we replaced all our Überweiß kegs with ÜberDunkel, without warning anyone. Imagine the managers' faces when a customer asked for a wheat beer and the beer came out black, but had the aromatic profile of a wheat beer. Wow effect guaranteed...

The story

The Überdunkel was born from our desire to create a winter version of our classic Hefeweizen. We thought, "What if we dressed up our favorite lager for winter?" Not just a cosmetic change—we wanted a real transformation that respected the Weizen spirit while also bringing comfort when the snow falls.

The choice of buckwheat was not insignificant. We were looking for that perfect balance between Bavarian tradition and French-speaking innovation. The higher fermentation temperature? A calculated gamble designed to bring out those famous banana esters that are the signature of a true Weizen.

Food and beer pairings

The Überdunkel shines particularly with:

• Seafood Platter (Iodine Meets Roasted)

• Chestnuts roasted by the fire

• Wild Mushroom Fondue

• Zurich veal sausage

• Walnut and Caramel Tart

• Warm pretzel with sweet mustard

The final word

The Überdunkel has bowed out, but what a bow! This winter metamorphosis of our Überweiß remains etched in the taste buds of those who encountered it. It embodied our philosophy: take a classic, respect it, then twist it with just the right amount of audacity. Some winter evenings, we still find ourselves dreaming of its dark color and its aromas of banana flambéed with chocolate...

Cheers! 🍻

The recipe